The review of integrative medicine practice’s strengths and weaknesses worldwide

• Main Authors: Kang, Eng Tye, Lim, Thong Soon
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: HD28 Management. Industrial Management
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/11010/1/CR159.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/11010/; http://www.kmice.uum.edu.my

Integrative medicine practice or integrated medicine (IM) has been introduced as a new concept to emerge both conventional medicine (CM) and traditional/complementary medicine (T/CM).This integrated and accessible healthcare was useful in bridging the gaps between CM and T/CM.This study is conducted to gain understanding the concept of the integrated medicine practice in the perspective of strengths and weaknesses.To conduct in-depth understand on the current development of integrative Medicine practice, the study methods involve worldwide electronic database system for searching its strengths and weaknesses of the integrative medicine practice.In general, integrative medicine is demanded by a patient as a new concept of medicine in new millennium.It is providing all medicine basics that included CM and T/CM therapies that focus more on health and healing, more evidence base to T/CM therapies, as well as bridging the communication gaps between CM and T/CM physician.However, integrative medicine still has its limitation, especially CM physicians look at T/CM as a source of “cash cow” to attract more clients or patients to make more profit.Moreover, the malpractice issues also accrue due to the unmatured medical theory applies and the wrong emerging of medical theory usage.For instance, lack of evidential base in integrative medicine therapy and the difficulties to integrate multi medicine practice into the integrative medicine concept are the major challenges.Despite attempts to reveal integrative medicine strengths and weaknesses, its significant impacts upon individual or nationality still remain unknown.There are still many limitations to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the integrative medicine model implemented.